Descent of Nightmare (Chapter Twelve)
Nov. 25th, 2016 11:58 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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saladloveAnd some angels. But who cares about them?
Chapter list: https://tanadin.dreamwidth.org/650.html
Map of Kaldriel: https://i.gyazo.com/332b0c0172dcc60acb46
Rough map of Hatu: https://i.gyazo.com/ea4f9f51b9dc7b9d8b86
Chapter Twelve
Beginning
Akrar, Kaldriel. November 8, 2277. Time instance 842N.
Geek leaned back in her seat as she surveyed the two demons in front of her. They were, according to M, her sons. Sons that she had with Vel’kex. Sons that had made the Council of Archdemons summon her and demand answers.
They’d want them dead, she knew. They’d want her to kill them or bring them back for execution. She drummed her claws against her chair’s armrest as she looked them over.
Jack, with dark hair and brilliant eyes just slightly bluer than her own. His wings were identical to hers, light green and folded easily along his back. Exadae, with bluer eyes and darker hair. His light green wings had faint green magma patterns on their undersides and black-glassed goggles were pushed up onto his forehead. Both were tall and stood with confidence and exuded power. Jack held a mischievous bordering on malicious glint in his eyes while Exadae seemed more thoughtful, almost calculating, and they often exchanged looks that communicated more than words ever could.
She sighed quietly, tail flicking in agitation. She didn’t want them killed. If they were indeed hers- and it seemed like they were- then she had a responsibility to keep them alive. Despite everything, they deserved a chance at a somewhat normal life, and she wasn’t about to let the Archdemons get between them and the world that awaited them.
“They’d want me to kill you,” she said finally, speaking in Demonic. They looked up at her, curious, as she spoke, watching her carefully.
“Who?” Exadae asked, leaning forward in his seat.
“The Archdemons, including your father.”
“Too bad,” Jack spat. “They’re just going to have to deal with the fact that we’re alive.”
“They won’t like it.”
“They don’t have to like it,” Exadae told her. “It’s reality. If any of them try to kill us, or set you to-”
“I’m not going to kill you,” Geek said irritably. “So stop looking at me suspiciously. We’re going to have to work something out to keep Heaven from finding out about you or, at the very least, throwing a fit over it.”
Jack and Exadae exchanged looked.
“Heaven,” Exadae repeated the word slowly, wrapping his mouth around the word and letting each syllable force its way out from between his teeth. Demonic was a rough, consonant-filled language, so ‘Heaven’ was more similar to ‘Krrxlaark’ which has a sort of rough, growly half-cough partway through it.
Geek decided not to correct his pronunciation. “If the angels found out that you were the sons of an Archdemon, they’d probably declare war.”
“That sounds bad,” Jack decided, crossing his arms. “What’s that?” His eyes flicked to the Nethernomicon, which floated by Geek’s side.
“Oh, this?” Geek carefully took the book and ran her fingers over its surface. “This is the Nethernomicon, one of the most powerful grimoires in existence.”
“Neat. Can I have a magic book, too?”
“What about me?” Exadae’s wings lifted in excitement.
Geek rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’ll get you both grimoires, don’t worry. Let’s just-”
She jumped when someone pounded on the door. She got to her feet and opened it, spreading her wings slightly in an unconscious effort to hide Jack and Exadae behind her.
“Cataclysm, what-”
“Heaven is planning a war,” he said immediately, eye flicking to the two forms behind her. “And something tells me it’s because of them.”
“Hi!” A boy- well, he looked to be around twenty, but he radiated youth- jumped up and waved a hand. Tattered ashen wings were folded along his back and Geek raised an eyebrow, identifying him as a fallen angel and noting physical similarities between him and Cataclysm. “I’m something! I told him. We’re fucked.”
“We?”
“Well, yeah. I’m not fighting with them. They kicked me out.”
Cataclysm patted his head. “Good kid.” He looked up at Geek again. “Heaven’s pissed, from what Terok’s said. They don’t like the existence of two Archdemon offspring.”
“They weren’t created through him breeding. As long as he denounces them of his bloodline-”
“They don’t care,” Terok interrupted. “They’ve been itching for a fight since the last ruler of Hell died and the whole Curse thing blew over. This is just their excuse.”
Geek snarled. “Damn the angels!”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Emma said dryly from behind Cataclysm, “but that isn’t going to get anything done.”
“The angels will send a diplomatic envoy,” Geek mumbled, drumming her claws on the doorframe. “They’ve probably alerted Hell already and both parties are sending envoys to a designated meeting spot. And if nothing’s changed since last time…” She shoved everyone out of the way, barked in Demonic for Exadae and Jack to stay put, and took off. Cataclysm scooped up Emma and followed her, telling Terok to babysit the demons.
Terok watched them go and, once they had faded into the distance, slowly turned back to Jack and Exadae.
“So, uh. I don’t suppose you speak English?”
One of them raised an eyebrow and the other- the one in goggles- just sighed, sitting back down.
Terok’s wings drooped. “I didn’t think so.”
~~~
Geek folded her wings and landed easily on the old stone platform. Despite its age and state of disrepair, the old ruins were still in good shape, gleaming white amongst the stone of the mountain. One of the pillars was nearly intact, barely crumbled at all, while the others were shortened with pieces of them scattered around here and there.
Of course the angels would choose old angelic ruins to meet with demonic envoys. Self-centered feathery assholes. Geek turned to watch Cataclysm land and carefully set Emma down. “You really need to get some wings,” he mumbled. “Mine are getting sore.” She swatted at him and he only grinned in response
“Both envoys will likely be arriving shortly,” Geek announced. “Or we’ll be here for awhile. I don’t know why you followed me.”
Cataclysm shrugged. “I figured it might be interesting.”
“You left Terok with my sons who don’t speak any languages that he knows.”
“Woops.”
“How do you know him, anyway?”
“He’s my nephew.”
“You’re a shitty uncle.”
“I’m a better uncle than Zi was a father or brother.”
Geek raised an eyebrow but didn’t ask when Emma only nodded sagely, putting a hand on his shoulder. Geek pulled her eyes away and watched the sky for the first signs of angels.
They stayed there for half an hour, watching the skies and waiting. Cataclysm and Emma sat on one of the dilapidated pillars but Geek remained on her feet, the Nethernomicon floating innocently beside her. She occasionally reached out and stroked its cover in an unconscious comforting motion, resisting the urge to pick it up and hold it tightly.
All thoughts in that direction scattered when she caught sight of feathered wings in the sky. She made a warning sound, altering Cataclysm and Emma, and motioned for them to stand behind her. She watched as three angels with wings of brown, silver, and white descended, landing short ways away and positioning themselves with the brown-winged angel in front before moving forward.
“You don’t look very official,” the brown-winged angel said, crossing her arms. Her eyes and hair nearly matched her wings, which, to Geek, was an unappealing look.
“Neither do you,” Cataclysm snapped. “You’ve never been good at looking important, Sally.”
Sally. The name seemed vaguely familiar to Geek, but with the way Emma tensed, she knew it had to be someone in Cataclysm’s past. She was immediately put on high alert as Sally’s wings tensed and her eyes narrowed.
“And what are you? I don’t-”
“You don’t recognize your own brother in law?” Cataclysm spread his wings, sharpening his feathers. “After what your damned mate did to him?”
Sally’s eyes widened. “No. It can’t be. Zyvren…?”
“I’m Cataclysm now. After your damned mate threw me to Edme fucking Stinng.” He bared his teeth. “I heard he died. Got too corrupt for even the council, huh?”
“How do you know that?” Sally demanded, spreading her own wings fully and tightening her hands into fists. “Who told you that?!”
“Your son.”
“Terok-”
“He’s fine. Not that he wants to see you.” Cataclysm folded his wings and crossed his arms. “You got him kicked out of Heaven.”
Sally’s face twisted in outrage. “You filthy liar! I did not-”
“You kind of did,” one of the angels mumbled.
She whirled around and shoved him. “I don’t need to hear this from you!”
“I bet you got Zi killed, too,” Cataclysm told her, raising an eyebrow. “You have a penchant for saying more than you should when you get angry.”
“I did not! You filthy fallen demonic mongrel!” She stepped forward, raising a hand to swing at him, but one of the other angels grabbed her.
“You can’t attack another envoy! Do you want to start a war?!”
“Yes!” Sally snarled, pulling her arm loose. “Fuck off! You’re the muscle, not the brains!”
“Neither are you,” Emma mumbled, and Sally glared at her.
“And who are you supposed to be?”
Cataclysm stepped between them and spread his wings. “You leave her alone.”
Sally’s eyebrows shot up before she started laughing. “Oh, that’s rich. That’s really rich. You get on me about my mate and then you go and be with a human.”
“Emma’s not a monster.”
“She’s a stain on creation, as are you.”
Cataclysm snarled and stepped forward, but Geek grabbed his arm. “Don’t. She’s not worth it.”
Cataclysm growled and folded his wings. “You’re right. She’s not.”
Footsteps drew their attention before anyone could get violent, and Geek had never been more happy to see an official envoy of Hell in her life.
“Hello,” Talmarian said pleasantly. “Did you get started without us?”
Talmarian didn’t appear to have any outward demonic features other than his eyes, which glowed an intense bright green and threatened to flicker with flame at any moment. He was, however, far more demonic than he looked, with a full demon form similar to Ixen’s that was only hidden behind a skilled transformation. His human form had slightly darker skin than her own and his hair was short, red, and stuck up in places, reminiscent of Kyir’s but a lot messier. He wore a simple purple t-shirt and black jeans, looking for all the world like a human in his early twenties out for a stroll and not an official diplomat of Hell.
Behind him lurked Shadhun, an eight-foot-tall wingless demon with a temper and a very large battleaxe. Her skin was blue-gray and leathery, unlike most demons’ scaled skin, and she wore red armor trimmed with gold over most of her body. She lacked a tail and her eyes glowed an intense, bright purple, making Geek struggle not to shiver. Shadhun was intimidating, with the spikes on her armor and her imposing height, not to mention the claws that wrapped easily around her massive battleaxe and the fact that most of her face was hidden behind a piece of metal. It covered her mouth and jaw, but Geek knew from experience that her teeth were jagged and stuck out at strange angles. Short black horns poked out from her helmet and pointed backwards, but they were almost unnoticeable in comparison with the rest of her.
There was no third member of the party, which Geek didn’t find surprising. Talmarian was a capable demon that could get himself out of seemingly anything, and Shadhun could handle three angels as long as they stayed in range of her axe.
...Or the hook at the end of a faintly glowing chain coiled up at Shadhun’s hip. Geek couldn’t remember seeing this particular accessory before, but she suspected that it was designed to grab and pull flying adversaries out of the air and into melee range.
“I’ve never been more relieved to see you in my life,” Geek admitted, and Talmarian flashed her a grin before directing his attention to the angels.
“Hello, Sally. What brings you here today?”
Sally straightened her back and folded her wings neatly. “Heaven has received news of two demons that are undoubtedly descended from an Archdemon. This goes against the ancient codes and could mean war.”
“They were created by the alien race who invaded Kaldriel twenty-five years ago,” Geek interjected. “They were not born naturally.”
“They must be destroyed.”
“They will not.”
Talmarian raised an eyebrow. “Geek, are they your kids?”
“Maybe.”
“Are they innocent of crimes?”
“So far.”
“Well then.” Talmarian crossed his arms. “You can’t demand the destruction of innocent demons. This might be minor, but it’s the principle of the thing- what stops you from demanding Geek’s death, or Shadhun’s, or my own?”
“You are not descended from an Archdemon!” Sally snapped.
“And neither are they. They are genetically, yes, but he has not claimed them, nor will he. We avoid children of Archdemons for political reasons, and if all reasons are taken off the board, then there is no reason for them to die.”
Sally glared at him. “You will destroy them or we will go to war.”
Talmarian snorted. “Don’t try to fool me. You’re starting a war whether or not we comply with your demands. You just want us to kill them so that you don’t have to deal with two Geek-Vel’kex hybrids.”
“We’re not-”
“They are,” Emma confirmed. “She did say she was trying to start a war before she showed up.”
Sally stormed up to her and spread her wings threateningly. “You keep your mouth shut, you filthy-”
“You fuck off!” Emma interrupted, kicking Sally in the shin. “Stop threatening me and stop being an asshole.”
Sally took a swing at her but Emma easily stepped backwards, crossing her arms. Sally bared her teeth and reached for her sword, Emma doing the same. One of the angels grabbed Sally’s arm, stopping her, but no one stopped Emma from seizing Nightbane and activating it, the silver light of the blade making the angels freeze.
“You thief,” Sally snarled. “That’s an angel weapon.”
“It’s a krivexel,” Talmarian corrected, subtly taking a half-step away from Emma. “And the only owner of a krivexel is whoever it chooses to wield it.” He snapped his fingers and Shadhun raised her axe threateningly. “Get out of here, Sally. I can’t convince all of Heaven to stop this war. You’re only wasting time needed for preparations.”
Sally stood up straight and tried to look down at him, but it was difficult considering that she was 5’5 and he was over six feet tall. “Very well.” She took off, the other angels not far behind, and they soon vanished into the sky.
"So," Talmarian said, slowly turning to Geek, "care to explain what the fuck is happening on the way back to Hell? I'm awfully confused and I think the Archdemons would like a full report."
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Date: 2016-11-25 06:32 pm (UTC)“Who?” Exadae asked, leaning forward in his seat.
“The Archdemons, including your father.”
“Too bad,” Jack spat. “They’re just going to have to deal with the fact that we’re alive.”
“They won’t like it.”
“They don’t have to like it,” Exadae told her. “It’s reality. If any of them try to kill us, or set you to-”
“I’m not going to kill you,” Geek said irritably. “So stop looking at me suspiciously. We’re going to have to work something out to keep Heaven from finding out about you or, at the very least, throwing a fit over it.”
Geek's going to protect her 'babies' and they have the same attitude as her, they exist and everyone's just going to have to like it or lump it.
“What’s that?” His eyes flicked to the Nethernomicon, which floated by Geek’s side.
“Oh, this?” Geek carefully took the book and ran her fingers over its surface. “This is the Nethernomicon, one of the most powerful grimoires in existence.”
“Neat. Can I have a magic book, too?”
“What about me?” Exadae’s wings lifted in excitement.
Geek rolled her eyes. “Yes, I’ll get you both grimoires, don’t worry. Let’s just-”
OMG I'm just imagining Jack and Exadae being followed round by baby versions of the Nethernomicon XD
“We?”
“Well, yeah. I’m not fighting with them. They kicked me out.”
Cataclysm patted his head. “Good kid.” He looked up at Geek again. “Heaven’s pissed, from what Terok’s said. They don’t like the existence of two Archdemon offspring.”
“They weren’t created through him breeding. As long as he denounces them of his bloodline-”
“They don’t care,” Terok interrupted. “They’ve been itching for a fight since the last ruler of Hell died and the whole Curse thing blew over. This is just their excuse.”
Geek snarled. “Damn the angels!”
“I couldn’t agree more,” Emma said dryly from behind Cataclysm, “but that isn’t going to get anything done.”
I love Terok and second Geek's "Damn Angels" comment, also sassy Emma is sassy XD
“The angels will send a diplomatic envoy,” Geek mumbled, drumming his claws on the doorframe. “They’ve probably alerted Hell already and both parties are sending envoys to a designated meeting spot. And if nothing’s changed since last time…” She shoved everyone out of the way, barked in Demonic for Exadae and Jack to stay put, and took off. Cataclysm scooped up Emma and followed her, telling Terok to babysit the demons.
Terok watched them go and, once they had faded into the distance, slowly turned back to Jack and Exadae.
“So, uh. I don’t suppose you speak English?”
One of them raised an eyebrow and the other- the one in goggles- just sighed, sitting back down.
Terok’s wings drooped. “I didn’t think so.”
Let me guess, the designated meeting spot is right smack bang in the middle of somewhere that's now a town which is going to get caught in the war that's going to break out once the niceties of the diplomatic envoy are out of the way.
Also poor Terok, stuck with two demons who don't speak English with nothing to do *hands Terok a ball* you could probably get around the lanuage barrier enough to sort out a game of catch.
Talmarian snorted. “Don’t try to fool me. You’re starting a war whether or not we comply with your demands. You just want us to kill them so that you don’t have to deal with two Geek-Vel’kex hybrids.”
“We’re not-”
“They are,” Emma confirmed. “She did say she was trying to start a war before she showed up.”
Sally stormed up to her and spread her wings threateningly. “You keep your mouth shut, you filthy-”
“You fuck off!” Emma interrupted, kicking Sally in the shin. “Stop threatening me and stop being an asshole.”
Sally took a swing at her but Emma easily stepped backwards, crossing her arms. Sally bared her teeth and reached for her sword, Emma doing the same. One of the angels grabbed Sally’s arm, stopping her, but no one stopped Emma from seizing Nightbane and activating it, the silver light of the blade making the angels freeze.
“You thief,” Sally snarled. “That’s an angel weapon.”
“It’s a krivexel,” Talmarian corrected, subtly taking a half-step away from Emma. “And the only owner of a krivexel is whoever it chooses to wield it.” He snapped his fingers and Shadhun raised her axe threateningly. “Get out of here, Sally. I can’t convince all of Heaven to stop this war. You’re only wasting time needed for preparations.”
Woo go Emma! Slice Sally's wings off and send her to Edme! See how Sally likes what Zi did to Cata.
Also Talmarian is awesome.
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Date: 2016-11-25 06:42 pm (UTC)And I love Talmarian and Shadhun. She didn't speak this chapter, unfortunately, but she will.
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Date: 2016-11-25 09:08 pm (UTC)*shouts after Sally as she flies off while hugging Terok*
Scara: HE'S MY SON NOW AND I'LL BE A BETTER MOTHER THAN YOU EVER WERE!
Terok: Ummmm.....hi and thanks....can you let go? The hug is starting to hurt
XD
I'm imagining Shadhun's intimidating presence to be similar to Undyne's (from Undertale) intimidating presence.
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Date: 2016-11-25 10:18 pm (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-11-25 10:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-26 12:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-27 05:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-27 09:31 pm (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-11-27 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-27 10:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-27 10:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-29 01:48 am (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-11-29 02:14 am (UTC)also, observing anon
didn't you make an account? or was someone pretending to be you?
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Date: 2016-11-30 08:27 am (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-11-30 05:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-30 09:02 pm (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-12-01 04:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-30 08:29 am (UTC)-Observing Anon
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Date: 2016-11-30 05:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-26 04:50 am (UTC)Thanks Dramon.
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Date: 2016-11-26 07:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-26 07:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-26 09:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-27 05:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2016-11-26 07:14 pm (UTC)The timeline just got even more complicated.
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Date: 2016-11-26 09:35 pm (UTC)